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Branding Irons

05-20-2009, 10:38 PM

Ok fella's, who can give me some tips for making up some sets of branding irons (hot irons). I need a full set of numbers and letters as well as a couple custom irons. I've never made any irons before but I know a few of you have. What are the do's and don'ts? Thanks guys.

Oh, btw, if anybody knows of a pipeline kicking off, maybe you could let me know....

i just made mine out of 3/8" flat strap heated and shaped to how i want it then welded the handles on. been using the same ranch brand and number set for i dont know how many years. horses getting freeze branded now only the cows are getting smoked

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Freeze branding is basically the same as hot branding but instead of heating the irons, you super cool them. Instead of burning the hair and hide, it freezes the pigment folicles in the hair but not the growth folicles. So unlike a hot brand you get white hairs in the shape of your brand. This is done allot on horses, but not much on cattle. Actually some states don't even recognize freeze brands on cattle.

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on the corners i just took a triangle file and relived out the corners

i used copper bus bars i had from work for my freeze brands welded them togethor with the tig machine

for freeze branding the brands are dipped in liquid nitrogen or a mix of broken up dryice and 99% alcohol

the Liq n2 works better -210deg C as solid co2 is -78.5deg c also theres less infection risk and faster healing times with freeze branding. theres a couple show cattle barns i have built freeze brands for since it looks better also. you can get more detailed information in a small freeze brand thats why the blm uses it for the mustangs and burros

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Hi I have cut out some branding Irons out of 3/8 and 1/4 plate just for fun I have used to brand my gloves boots wallet a few western type picture frames but its only for fun and they dont get used as often as a cattle branding Iron but you can cut very intricate parts
like mine which is the out line of the state of TEXAS with my little boys initials inside of it or jus my initials hope it helps

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Freeze brands don't necessarily leave a permanent impression inside the hide; also, they don't leave evidence of subsequent modifying or tampering with existing brands, that can easily be seen with normal hot brands.

Biggest mistake I see people make with branding irons, is using too heavy, and too close, iron. Tends to blot and blur. Take a field trip, talk to guys, look at brands, look at irons. If possible,,, watch it being done. It's more of an art than a science, building the things,,, and if you can't stomach the actual application, you probably shouldn't be involved anyway.

Obviously, I'm just a hack-artist, you shouldn't be listening to anything I say .....

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A job I was working on a few years ago, I had a problem with someone walking off with my welding gloves. I made up a branding iron with my initials and i would brand the inside of the cuff of my gloves. That ended the glove disapearance problem